Wow... UP-SMC Named Game of the Night!

By Mid-Majority, but whatevs... this is really cool!

http://www.midmajority.com/

The whole preview is longer, but here's his spiel on the Pilots. I've bolded the interesting and the funny:

Portland is one of the biggest surprises of the 2008-09 season, opening up a 5-1 league record that includes a stunning blowout of San Diego on Thursday night. The Pilots, who have the distinction of having the only logo in Division I suitable for use by an international airport, have won five in a row and are well on their way to their first winning record since 1995-96, when the team also made the NCAA's. It's hard to imagine Portland edging into a 2009 bid, but there's no doubt that this squad can shoot 3's with the national elite. Since league play began, the Pilots have converted 45 percent of their bombs, easily the best in the WCC -- and 5-9 junior T.J. Campbell is hitting them at an incredible 51 percent clip. Moreover, their guards can also stop the 3 as well, holding opponents to 27 percent from beyond the newly installed double-arc. This is easily Portland's biggest game in over a decade... all of Hoops Nation is watching, and the Pilots have a chance to make a major statement.

How true is that last sentence... oh man!!!

Unfortunately, not as true as his statement about our winning season drought. We had a 14-13 (7-7 WCC) season in 1997-98.

Other than that, this is a great write-up!

Great find! Biggest game in a decade... how true.

Seriously, everyone, take a second and think about where we are right now.... such amazing progress.

Now lets go take it to the Gaels!

GO PILOTS!

When will they start to use the Portland P as a symbol of an international airport? That would be freakin' sweet! Let me flag in the plane...

That was cool (about the airport). I still love the wheel!!!

I was trying to think back to the biggest regular season game prior to Thursday, and prior to tonight. I think I'd have to go all the way back to the 1996 home game against Santa Clara when Steve Nash was a senior. That crowd broke the previous attendance record of the Notre Dame game back in Larry Steele's early years. We won that game, and I remember Dionn Holton putting the clamps on Nash big time. We went on, of course, to win the WCC tournament that year.

I'd go with 1996 too. That was a special season, King was very memorable in the WCC tourney. I think that Rev is going to build a program and something that endures for a longer period of time though...

Is St. Mary's still ranked since their loss to GU?

I really started getting into Pilot basketball in the mid-90s, going to pretty much every home game with my grandpa. It was exciting, the Pilots had a chance to win every game I went to. So that is how I thought it was supposed to be. But then the last 10 years or so I would HOPE the team would win, but rarely expect for it to happen. This year that is all changing.
That win over the Ducks in 01 (or was it 02?) was big, but there was no pre-game hype, it was just a big upset, so I would have to agree on '96.

James, yes St. Mary's is still ranked. The new rankings don't come out until tomorrow. But with two losses this weekend (that is right, I am calling it now even though we are down 12-11) they probably won't be.

Man how I wish I could be at Chiles right now.

Man how I wish I could be at Chiles right now.--wizz

--You and me both... Great first half by the Pilots.

goldhelmet wrote:That was cool (about the airport). I still love the wheel!!!

I was trying to think back to the biggest regular season game prior to Thursday, and prior to tonight. I think I'd have to go all the way back to the 1996 home game against Santa Clara when Steve Nash was a senior. That crowd broke the previous attendance record of the Notre Dame game back in Larry Steele's early years. We won that game, and I remember Dionn Holton putting the clamps on Nash big time. We went on, of course, to win the WCC tournament that year.

I was at both those games (ND and SCU). I don't know how they got 5007 into the Chiles Center, but it was loud. BTW, since when has the Chiles Center had a listed capacity of 4852. It was 5000 back in the day.

PurplePrideTrumpet wrote:I don't know how they got 5007 into the Chiles Center, but it was loud. BTW, since when has the Chiles Center had a listed capacity of 4852. It was 5000 back in the day.

I'll be the Fire Marshal had something to do with that. Merlo doesn't have a 5000 capacity, either, supposedly.